Interreg Baltic Sea Region co-funded project Empowering Underground Laboratories network usage (EUL) continues the work done during the Baltic Sea Underground Innovation Network (BSUIN) project.

Underground laboratories in the Baltic Sea region are not utilized to their full potential even though world-leading research organizations and industrial companies are nearby. In order to use the available underground space better, the BSUIN project has developed service concepts for the underground laboratories and an open-access platform that characterizes them. These concepts and the platform will be further tested, evaluated, and improved within the EUL project. Better information about the laboratories and their business opportunities is provided to regional development agencies and potential new customers from academia and business.

The underground laboratories in the project are Callio Lab (Pyhäjärvi Finland), ÄSPÖ Hard Rock Laboratory (Oskarshamn, Sweden), Ruskela Mining Park (Ruskeala, Russia), Educational and research mine Reiche Zeche (Freiberg, Germany), Underground Low Background Laboratory of the Khlopin Radium Institute (St.Petersburg, Russia) and the Conceptual Lab development co-ordinated by KGHM Cuprum R&D centre (Poland).

The topics of this webinar cover the key outcomes and recommendations for underground laboratories in general and best practices how the facilities can act as hubs for innovation and business incubators. As most of the Uls are located in active- postmining phase mines, the guest talks are concentrating on the possibilities of ULs, user cases and the future of ULs and the EUL network.

The webinar is hosted by the EUL project leader Mr Jari Joutsenvaara. 

13.00   Opening: Many faces of underground laboratories.

Jari Joutsenvaara, Project Leader, University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute

13.10   Project outcomes: Empowering Underground Laboratories network usage (EUL)

Marcus Laaksoharju, PhD, Consult for SKB

13.30   European Underground Laboratories Association (EUL)

Helmut Mischo, Professor, Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg

13.45   Why should you join EUL? 

Taurimas Valys, Associate Professor, Vilnius University

13.50   Visit to Underground Laboratories (video)

13.55   Possibilities and challenges of Underground Laboratories.

Panel discussion hosted by Workpackage Managers: Päivi Aro, Oulu University of Applied Sciences and George Barakos, Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg

14:15   Experiences of the EUL project

14.20   Underground laboratories as (inter)national platforms for innovation

Panel discussion hosted by Workpackage Managers: Päivi Aro, Oulu University of Applied   Sciences and George Barakos, Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg

14.40  Experiences of the EUL project

Interviews

14.45   Closing, Jari Joutsenvaara, Project Leader, University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute